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NEWSDate: Jul 21, 2010 Snakes Re-Sign Pair of Defensemen; Green and Leslie Retire
The Columbus Cottonmouths welcome back defensemen Will Barlow and Kyle Lundale for the 2010-11 season, but say goodbye to long-time Snake and leading scorer, Tim ‘The Toolman’ Green and enforcer and fan favorite Dan Leslie, both who have announced their retirement from professional hockey. Barlow returns to the Snakes for his fourth season. The Oakville, Ontario native has collected 29 points in 147 games. Last season, Barlow had the highest plus/minus rating among Snakes defensemen. As one of the Snakes’ most consistent defensemen, Barlow, 28, will be looked upon to lead what is expected to be a young defensive unit. Lundale returns for his third season in Columbus, having recorded 64 points in 102 games. Last season, his 37 points ranked him second in the league among all defensemen. In 2008-09, Lundale’s +/- rating ranked him first among SPHL defensemen, and fifth overall in the league with +18. “Barlow and Lundale have both proven themselves to be good, quality defensemen,” head coach Jerome Bechard said. “They both bring different styles. Will is more of a stay-at-home defenseman, and likes to make the first pass out of the zone, while Kyle is more offensive minded. I look for them to each improve on the other’s strengths. We’re going to have quite a few new faces on defense, so I expect Will and Kyle to step up and be leaders.” Green bids farewell to Columbus after six seasons with the Cottonmouths. The Camrose, Alberta native came to the Snakes as a rookie in 2004, helping guide the team to its first SPHL championship. He leaves Columbus with his name in the record books as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, passing Marcel Richard who registered 310 points as a Snake from 1996-2000. Green collected 177 goals and 216 assists for a combined 393 points in 314 games from 2004-2010. He finished three seasons in the top ten in the SPHL in scoring (3rd in 2005-06, 9th in 2006-07 and 5th in 2008-09). Green also led the Snakes in scoring three seasons (2006-07, 2008-09, 2009-10), and finished among the top three in points all six seasons. He served as an alternate captain the last three seasons. Leslie departs Columbus after three seasons as the Snakes’ enforcer, having accepted a full-time position as a juvenile counselor in a youth facility in Canada. Leslie made a name for himself quickly, leading the league in penalty minutes and major penalties each of his first two seasons. In 161 total games with Columbus, Leslie collected 35 points and racked up 79 major penalties and 673 penalty minutes. “These both came as pretty big shockers for us,” Bechard said. “Danny got a great job up in Canada. He had every intention of coming back for another season, but this opportunity was too good to pass up. He was one of our most-improved players over the last couple years, and a big presence on the ice. Tim has been one of our leading scorers each of the past six seasons. We could always count on him to score a big goal when the game was on the line. He’s going to be tough to replace. Both of these guys have been great assets to our organization. They will definitely be missed, and I wish them both the very best.” Barlow and Lundale join forward Orrin Hergott and goaltender Ian Vigier on the list of 2010-11 signees. All four are returning players from last season. The Cottonmouths open the 2010-11 season at home against the Pensacola Ice Flyers Friday, Oct. 22. Season tickets are on sale now. For more information, contact the Cottonmouths at 706 571 0086. |
